The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-02-17
WAS SHE INSANE?
THE JEALOUSY OF THE MARTYRED
PRESIDENTS WIFE.
Gen, Badeau Throws Some Light on
Mrs. Lincoln's Observation-Disclosures I'm
govcrnable Rage Aroused by Trihes.
Lincoln's Bearing Through 1t All.


The account of Lincoln's lovemalling in
his history by Nicolay and Hay seems almost
ouinous when read by the light of later
knowledge. The anXieties and forebodings
and absolute agony of the future president
Oh the eve of marriage, the most ineredulous
might say, presaged the destiny that i'm
pended. For no one knows the character of
Abraham Lincoln, his godlike patience, his
ilieifable sweetness, his transcendent charity
amid all the tremendous worries of war and
revolution and public affairs, who is igno
rant of what he endured of private woe, and
10 one rightly judges the unfortunate part
nor of his elevation and unwilling cause of |
many of his miseries, who forgets that she |
had ''eaten ON the insane root that takes the |
reason prisoner.
The country knows but has preferred to
forget the strangeness of Mrs. Lincolns con-
duct at intervals after her husbands death.
Many of the moS5 extraordinary incidents in
her career were not revealed, out of delicacy |
to others and tenderness to one who had been
the sharer of A braham Lincoln's fortunes
and the mother of his family; but enough
was apparent to shock and pain the public
sense WHEN finally the conflict with her own
son., so highly respected, the dragging Of
sary supervision of the poor lady's finances
and the restraint of her actions if not of her
person, disclosed the fact that her mind had
been diseased
The first time that saw Mrs. Lincoln was
when | accompanied Mrs. Grant to the
White House for her first visit there as the
wife of the general .in-chief. The next that
Inow recall was i'll March, 1864, when Mrs.
Lincoln with the president, visited City
Point They went ON a steamer, escorted
by O. naval vessel of which Capt. John 5.
Barnes was in command, and remained for
some weeks in the James river under the
bluff on which the headquarters were estab-
lished. Here they slept and usually took
| their meals but sometimes both assembled the
| hill and were entertained at the mess of Gen.
| Grant, On the Goth of March a dfstin-
| guished party from Washington joined
| them, among whom | remember especially
| Mr.. Geoffroi, the French minister. 1t was
| proposed that an excursion should be made
| to the front of the Army of the Potomac,
about ten or twelve mics away, and Mrs.
Lincoln and Mrs. Grant were of the com
pany. There was a military railroad which
| took the illustrious guests great portion OF
| the way. and then the men were mounted,
| but Mrs Grant and Mrs. Lincoln went on
in an ambulance, as it was called-a sort of
| half open carriage with two seats besides
that for the driver. / was detailed to escort
them, and of course sat on the front seat
facing the ladies, with my back to the horses.
EXTRAORDINARY JEALOUSY.
In the course of conversation | mentioned
that all the wives of officers at the army
| front had been ordered to the rear-a sure
sign that active operations were in contem-
plation said not q lady had been allowed
to remain except Mrs. Griffin, the wife Of
Gen. Charles Griffin, who had obtained u
special permission from the president At
this Mrs. Lincoln was up in arms. 'What
do you mean by that, sir?' she exclaimed.
''Do you mean to say that she saw the presi-
dent alone? Do you kow that never allow
the president to see any woman aloneY" She
was absolutely jealous OF poor, ugly Abraham
Lincoln. / tried to pacify her and to palliate
my remark, but she was fairly boiling over
with rage. CHATS very cquivocal smile,
sir, she exclaimed. ''Iet me out of this
carriage at once. will ask the president if
he saw that woman alone" Mrs Griffin
was one of the best known and most elegant
women in Washington. afterward the Coun-
tess Esterhazy, Carroll and personal ac-
quaintanco of Mrs Grant, who strovo to mol
lily the excited spouse, but in vain. Mrs.
Lincoln again babe me stop the driver, and
when hestated to obey she thrust her arm
past mo to the front of the carriage and held
the driver fast. But Mrs. Grant fiually pre-
vailed on her to wait till the whole party
alighted and then Gen. Meade came up to
pay his respects to the wife Of the president.
/ had intended to offer Mrs. Lincoln my arm
and endeavor to prevent scene, but Meade,
of course, as my superior officer had the
right to escort her, and | had 10 chance to
warn him. | saw them go off together, and
remained in fear and trembling for what
might occur in the presence of the foreign
minister and other important strangers.
But Gen. Meade was very adroit, and
when they returned Mrs. Lincoln looked at
me and said: "Gen. Meade is gentleman,
sir He says it was not the president who
gave Mrs Griffin the permit, but the secre-
tary of war;" Meade was the son of a diplo-
matist and had evidently inherited some of
his fathers skill
At night when we were back in camp Mrs.
Grant talked over the matter with me and
said the whole affair was so distressing and
notifying that we must never either men-
ton it to any one; at least 1 was TO be alb
solutely silent and she would disclose it only
| 10 inc BtlltIdl. DuU Ullc IlOAV NuJ Wtto 10
leased from my pledge, for 'worse remained
behind.
The same party went in the morning to
visit the Army of the James on the north
side Of the river, commanded by Gen. Ord.
The arrangements were somewhat similar tc
those the day before. We went up the river
in a steamer, and then the men again took
horses and Mrs Lincoln and Mrs Grant
went in an ambulance. l was detailed as
before to act as escort, but l asked for q
companion in the duty; for after my expert
ence of the previous day did not wish to be
the only officer in the carriage SO Gen.
Horace Porter was ordered to join the party.
Mrs. Ord was with her husband. AS she
was the wife Of the commander of an army
she was not subject to the order for return,
though before that day was over she wished
herself in Washington or anywhere else away
from the army, l am sure. She was
mounted, and as the ambulance was full she
remained on her horse and rode for while
by the side of the president and ahead of
Mrs. Lincoln.
GRIZZLIES LIGHT AS AIR"
AS soon as Mrs. Lincoln discovered this her
rage was beyond all bounds. "What does
the woman mean," she exclaimed, ''by rid
ing by the side of the president and ahead of
me? Does she suppose that he wants her by
the side Of him." She was in frenzy of